Tango in 1911

The year 1911 is documented in the available sources mainly through individual musicians' biographies. These cover the opening of a cabaret, the start of formal training for a future composer, early commercial recording contracts and the birth of a later singer ^[2][3][4][6]. The sources also mention 1911 in connection with the friendship between Carlos Gardel and José Razzano, the arrival in Argentina of a film producer, and a chronicle of tango's arrival in Paris ^[1][3][9].

The most fully documented figure for the year is the musician Vicente Greco. One biography describes him as the first tango musician contracted to open the salón Armenonville in 1911 ^[4]. A second biography states that between 1911 and 1912 he recorded for Columbia and then for Atlanta ^[8]. A recording listing attributes four titles to Greco with a 1911 date. The listing's own entry gives a range of 1911 to 1914, so the exact year of these recordings is uncertain ^[5].

This article gathers the individual statements the sources make about 1911. It does not offer a general account of tango in that year, because the sources do not provide one ^[1][5].

According to a biography of Vicente Greco, he was "el primer músico tanguero en ser contratado para inaugurar el salón Armenonville, en 1911" (the first tango musician contracted to open the salón Armenonville, in 1911) ^[4]. The same source describes the Armenonville as a musical cabaret that became one of the main centres for spreading tango ^[4].

The source does not give dates for the other venues in this list. It also does not give a year for the tango associated with the salón La Argentina ^[8].

A biography of Vicente Greco states that "poco después del centenario, entre 1911 y 12" (shortly after the centenary, between 1911 and 1912) he recorded first for Columbia and afterwards for Atlanta ^[8]. The source does not name the titles he recorded for either company ^[8].

The dating of these titles is uncertain. The dossier claims give 1911, but the listing's entry for Ahí nomás shows a range of 1911 to 1914 ^[5]. These dates are therefore best read as the earliest known recording dates given by one listing, not as fixed recording years. They are not dates of composition or first performance ^[5]. The sources do not say whether these titles belong to the Columbia or Atlanta sessions mentioned in the Greco biography ^[5][8].

The singer José Razzano also began recording in this period. A biography states that "his fame as good singer gave origin to his first contract to record discs for the Victor company between 1911 and 1912" ^[6].

Two biographies of Eduardo Arolas state that he began studying music in 1911 at the conservatory run by maestro José Bombig ^[3][7]. Both sources add that within three years he had learned music theory, solfège and harmony ^[3][7].

The singer, guitarist and composer Edmundo Rivero was born in 1911. His biography gives his full name as Leonel Edmundo Rivero, born in Valentín Alsina on 8 June 1911 ^[2]. The same source records his death in Buenos Aires on 18 January 1986 and describes him as an Argentine tango singer, guitarist and composer ^[2].

A biography of Carlos Gardel reports that Razzano, in his Memorias, placed "ese encuentro" (that meeting) in 1911 ^[1]. According to Razzano's account, the meeting took place at a friend's house on calle Guardia Vieja, a few metres from the Mercado de Abasto ^[1].

The same biography describes the relationship with José Razzano as one of Gardel's most important friendships. According to Razzano, the friendship lasted from 1911 until Gardel's death, although it weakened in later years for financial reasons ^[3]. Both the 1911 date and the location therefore rest on Razzano's own recollection as reported in this source ^[1][3].

The Gardel biography also mentions a figure named Valle in connection with 1911 ^[2]. It states that Valle was born in Italy in 1880, worked with the Lumière brothers, and took classes with Georges Méliès before emigrating to Argentina in 1911 ^[2]. According to the source, Valle went on to produce dozens of films, including early newsreels and the animated feature films of Quirino Cristiani. The source describes these films as the first of their kind in the history of world cinema ^[2].

A chronicle of tango's spread to Paris, titled "From La morocha to El Garrón: Tango conquers Paris", also refers to 1911. It states that "they arrived in the Old World a few years before the beginning of World War I, it was 1911" ^[9]. The excerpt available in the dossier does not identify who "they" were ^[9].